Comparison of Molybdenum and Tantalum

Attribute	Tantalum ×	Molybdenum ×
Atomic mass (u)	180.9479	95.95
Standard state	Solid	Solid
Oxidation states	+5	+6
Electron configuration	[Xe]6s²4f¹⁴5d³	[Kr]5s¹4d⁵
Atomic radius (van der waals) (pm)	217	209
Electronegativity (pauling scale)	1.5	2.16
Electron affinity (eV)	0.322	0.746
Ionization energy (eV)	7.89	7.092
Boiling point (K)	5731	4912
Melting point (K)	3290	2896
Density (g/cm³)	16.4	10.2
Atomic number	73	42
Group name	Transition metal	Transition metal
Discovered (year)	1802	1778
Symbol	Ta	Mo